The Orleans Parish District Attorney is in discussions with defense attorneys regarding a potential plea arrangement for the New Orleans police officer accused of fatally shooting an unarmed man during a raid, the WDSU I-Team has learned.

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Several people close to the case confirmed that the office of Leon Cannizzaro has raised the possibility of a plea built around a single count of negligent homicide. The discussions regard the shooting death of Wendell Allen in March.

Investigators said officer Joshua Colclough fired the shot that struck Allen in the chest during the execution of a warrant at a home in Gentilly.

Lon Burns, an attorney representing Allen's family, told the I-Team that he was aware of plea discussions. A negligent homicide conviction carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, but it was not clear if jail time would be part of any deal.

"The compromise may be negligent homicide," Burns said. "The family is fine with that, but for him to do little-to-no jail time -- that would be a slap in the face to Wendell Allen."

Attorneys Pat Fanning and Claude Kelly, who represent Colclough, confirmed the discussions involving themselves and the District Attorney's Office.

Raymond Burkhart, with the Fraternal Order of Police, urged fairness in the process that is playing out behind closed doors.

"We hope the D.A. pursues a path that is just, not politically expedient," he said.

Sources told the I-Team that both sides would need to agree to any plea arrangement in the next couple of weeks. If they do not, the District Attorney is prepared to present the case to the Grand Jury, they said.

Colclough was one of several officers serving a drug warrant on a home owned by Allen's mother when, according to investigators, Allen appeared at the top of a staircase. Allen was unarmed, but Colclough fired his service revolver and struck him in the chest.

Allen died at the scene.

Initially, Colclough did not provide a statement to NOPD investigators. However, he did later make a voluntary statement to those conducting the internal investigation.

The I-Team has also learned that at least part of the incident was recorded by a small camera unit pinned to one of the other officers serving the warrant. Officials have not released -- nor discussed -- the recording.

Sources told WDSU that the actual shooting was not captured by the device, but the moments before and after the shot was fired are on the recording.

The NOPD submitted the case to the office of District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro in late April following a seven-week internal investigation. During that time, officers re-created the scene of the shooting to try to better understand what happened.

Colclough has been on reassignment during the probe.

Members of Allen's family met with police Supt. Ronal Serpas and other officials in the weeks following the shooting. Some in the community protested the incident and called for a federal investigation.

Representatives from the FBI were among those who accompanied the independent police monitor and NOPD Internal Affairs officers during the re-enactment of the shooting.